First of all I want to wish everyone a very happy and gracious Thanksgiving holiday. For our family, this is the perfect holiday in an imperfect world. Our family has so much to be thankful for. On behalf of my wife, Karole, and the rest of our family, we wish each and every one of the LA Dodger Chronicles Family a blessed Thanksgiving.
While we are waiting for some LAD news, I ran across a fun little poll. We do not have enough followers to put together a poll, and I do not have the tools to do so, but I thought I would pose the question and see what responses we do get.
The source was MetsRewind, and the question was who were the all time starting lineup for the NY Mets.
C – Mike Piazza
1B – Keith Hernandez
2B – Edgardo Alfonzo
SS – José Reyes
3B – David Wright
LF – Cleon Jones
CF – Carlos Beltrán
RF – Darryl Strawberry
SP – Tom Seaver
RP – Tug McGraw
Two of the above players (McGraw and Hernandez) played for another team longer than they played with the Mets. Only David Wright played his entire career with NYM. Each of the players played at least 7 years with the Mets.
Some of my parameters:
- Only players who are retired are eligible.
- Only players who have played 7 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Jim Gilliam, Johnny Podres, John Roseboro, Mike Piazza, and Adrián Beltré qualify, while Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Don Demeter, and Clem Labine do not.
- This is your favorite player by position, not necessarily who the best player at the position was.
My picks:
C – Steve Yeager
1B – Wes Parker
2B – Junior Gilliam
SS – Maury Wills
3B – Ron Cey
LF – Tommy Davis
CF – Willie Davis
RF – Andre Ethier
SP – Sandy Koufax
RP – Ron Perranoski
Reggie Smith is my favorite RF, but he only played 6 years with the Dodgers. Justin Turner would have been my favorite 3B, but he is still playing.
Relief pitching has been huge favorite for me since 1959 and Larry Sherry. Ron Perranoski is a favorite of mine since he took over the closer role from Larry Sherry in 1962. Kenley Jansen has been the best LAD best reliever. But he is still pitching, and he would not beat out Perranoski as my favorite.
Eric Gagné was with LAD for 7 years (and 2 games), but only 4 (and 2 games) as a reliever. Although it is hard to find a better reliever than Gagné was from 2002-2004. 152 saves in 158 save opportunities, 1.79 ERA, 0.822 WHIP for the combined 3 years.
If I had included a utility role, Junior Gilliam would have been my favorite there as well. Gilliam is one of my top 5 favorite Dodgers.
My major deviation from best, is my favorite 1B. Steve Garvey and Eric Karros are arguably the best of the 1B for the LAD. But I grew up a Wes Parker fan, and neither of Garvey nor Karros ever became a favorite for me. Adrián González would have been close, but he was a Dodger for only 6 years.
Ahh Jefe, good choices. Manager, Lasorda by a landslide. I totally hated Alston. 1B Parker. I knew Wes, so that makes him my favorite. 2B. Lopes, SS Wills, 3B, Gilliam, LF Tommy Davis, CF Matt Kemp, RF Ethier, C Roseboro, SP Sandy, RP Jim Brewer, I saw Gilliam play third more than second because when they first came here, Charlie Neal was the everyday second baseman. I liked Jr. a lot more than I liked the Penguin.
Yusniel Diaz signed to a minor league deal by the Giants.
No Billy Grabarkewitz?
Jackie Robinson, Steve Garvey?
Roseboro
Garvey/Parker
Lefebvre
Russell
Cey
Baker
W. Davis
Fairly
Koufax
Perranoski
Eliminating the great Los Angeles Dodgers I saw play in the early years in LA eliminates several players I’d put on the list.
It’s estimated 46 million turkeys are killed every year for Thanksgiving. Interesting facts about wild turkeys: they can fly up to 55 mph and they sleep in trees. If you’ve never seen wild turkeys fly you’re missing quite a show. We had several in the woods outside our property in Wisconsin. They knew they were safe around us.
Happy Thanksgiving to Jeff D and to all the LAD fans who take the time to read and contribute to this site.
Carry on!
My choices:
SP – Sandy Koufax
RP – Eric Gagne
C – Mike Scioscia
1B – Steve Garvey
2B – Davey Lopes
SS – Maury Wills
3B – Ron Cey
LF – Bill Buckner
CF – Willie Davis
RF – Raul Mondesi
Utility – Pedro Guerrero
Manager – Tommy
Best Anthem Singer – Michael Norris
There’s an interesting report that the Cubs explored trading for Bo Bichette.
Would take a big haul, but seems to confirm he’s somewhat available.
Probably doesn’t make the most sense for the Dodgers
C – Mike Piazza
1B – James Loney
2B – Jim Lefebvre
SS – Bill Russell
3B – Ron Cey
LF – Tommy Davis
CF – Willie Davis
RF – Ron Fairly
SP – Sandy Koufax
RP – Eric Gagné
Happy Thanksgiving.
C Mike Sciosia
1B Steve Garvey
2B Davey Lopes
SS Bill Russell
3B Ron Cey
LF Dusty Baker
CF Brett Butler
RF Andre Ethier
SP Orel Hershiser
RP Eric Gagné
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
I’m sure we realize how incredibly lucky we are to be thinking about turkey (or in Badger’s case a vegan substitute) and talking Dodger baseball while so many others are hurting today.
LA Dodger Chronicles, an oasis in the midst of a falling apart world. Thanks for all your work, Jeff (and you too Bear). You help me keep my sanity (what little there is left of it).
Piazza – C
Parker – 1B
Lopes – 2B
Wills – SS
Beltre – 3B
Tommy D – LF
Kemp – CF
Ethier – RF
Sandy K – SP
Gagne (or if he doesn’t qualify, Perranoski) – RP
If years served were not considered, I would certainly have included Al (The Bull) Ferrara.
My Thanksgiving Day prediction: Jonny DeLuca will be the 2024 breakout player of the year for the Dodgers and be a regular in a corner outfield spot.
Reports that Shota Imanaga will be posted by this coming Monday as well
I sincerely hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I realized today why I quit drinking. Butch, our resident drummer and former Navy machinist mate, and I have had a tradition of having a shot of Wild Turkey before the Thanksgiving meal. I have never had a shot of booze burn so much on the way to the stomach. Wow. Stuff is more powerful than I remembered.
How about a list of totally forgotten Dodgers? Darrell Thomas, Mike Sharperson, Gary Thomasson, Doug Mientkiewicz who had one of the best ever nicknames…..Eye Chart. He also hit .333 his only season in blue. 6-18. Len Matuszek, Enos Cabell, R.J. Reynolds. Stu Pederson, Ralph Bryant, Mike Ramsey. The list is endless.